The members of the Lamp Section of the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) recently announced a joint industry commitment to support public policies that will transform the U.S. market to more energy-efficient lighting within a decade. There is a growing number of proposals at the international, state and local levels that would eliminate the presence of certain general-service incandescent lamps in the marketplace.

Citing this as an issue of national importance, NEMA is calling on the U.S. government to devise a federal solution in order to avoid confusion in the marketplace.

Contracts

Agfa HealthCare Receives Contract Awards in Three Product CategoriesAgfa HealthCare has announced that Novation, a leading health care contracting services company, has awarded it contracts to provide radiology Picture Archiving and Communications System (PACS) solutions, Radiology Information System (RIS) solutions, and cardiology PACS to the University Health System Consortium, VHA Inc., and HealthCare Purchasing Partners International (HPPI) member facilities. 04/05/07

Dresser-Rand Selected to Provide Equipment for Gjoa Offshore ProjectDresser-Rand Group Inc., a global supplier of rotating equipment and aftermarket parts and services, announced that it will supply advanced turbomachinery for Statoil's semi-submersible production platforms to be located in the Gjoa field, approximately 50 kilometers off southwest Norway. 04/04/07

Siemens Awarded Drive System Contract For U.S. Navy's Sea Base ProjectSiemens Energy and Automation has announced a new contract from Oceaneering Advanced Technologies, a division of Oceaneering International, Inc. (OII), to provide an electric winch motor control system and an energy storage system for a crane designed to move large containers on U.S. Navy ships while at sea. 04/03/07

GE and Smiths Agree To Merge Scanner DivisionsGeneral Electric and Smiths Group have formally agreed to merge their detection businesses that make the scanners and X-ray machines increasingly in demand for homeland security purposes. 03/27/07

Personnel

Rockwell Automation Announces CFO Transition Rockwell Automation, Inc. has announced that Theodore D. Crandall, senior vice president and head of the Control Products & Solutions segment will replace James V. Gelly on an interim basis as senior vice president and chief financial officer. Gelly is expected to remain with the company’s finance function in an advisory capacity. 04/06/07

GE Announces Healthcare OfficerGE has announced the appointment of Frank M. Schulkes as vice president and chief financial officer of GE Healthcare–International. 04/06/07

Sheri Woodruff To Join Tyco ElectronicsTyco International has announced that Sheri Woodruff, currently vice president of media relations, will join Tyco Electronics as vice president of corporate communications at its new Berwyn, Pennsylvania, headquarters. 04/05/07

TRC Records 29% Rise In Thermostat Collections In 2006The Thermostat Recycling Corporation (TRC) reported record collection of mercury thermostats for 2006, evidence that the program is increasing its visibility and reach within household heating and cooling product distribution channels. 04/09/07

North American Business Conditions Improve in MarchNorth American business conditions improved for the first time in eight months in March, according to senior industry executives responding to NEMA’s monthly Electroindustry Business Confidence Survey. 03/28/07

Konica Minolta and GE Form Strategic Alliance to Accelerate OLED LightingKonica Minolta Holdings, Inc., Konica Minolta Technology Center, Inc.(collectively KM), and the General Electric Company (GE) have announced a strategic alliance to accelerate the development and commercialization of OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) devices for lighting applications. 04/02/07

Nokia, Siemens Networks to Begin Operations Nokia Siemens Networks, the joint venture of German conglomerate Siemens and Finnish handset maker Nokia, will start operations on April 1, according to both companies. It will be the world's second-largest mobile-networks company and the third-largest in fixed-line infrastructure. 03/29/07

GE and mtvU Award MIT Students with $25,000 Eco-GrantGE and mtvU, MTV’s 24-hour college network, greenlighted the winning student-developed project in the first-ever mtvU GE ecomagination Challenge. Biodiesel@MIT, a first-of-its-kind, solar-powered refueling station and processor will convert waste vegetable oil to biodiesel at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 03/29/07